IT'S BIG V FINALS TIME

The Azzco Engineering Lady Heat will take on the Western Port Steelers this weekend's Big V Division Women's elimination final at the Ausloans Mildura Hothouse.

To say the Lady Heat have battled this season is an understatement. Travelling undermanned due to unavailability of local players, injury, and waiting on the arrival of import Fanni Szabo, the Heat started with a 0/5 run. The team dug in, with the ever-present grit of the leadership group, to hold on and leave enough rounds to make a legitimate run for finals.

To achieve this, they could not afford to lose in the back half of the season, which they didn't, and along the way handed back a loss to all the teams that had beaten them in the first half.

This season, this team has shown they are not only strong physically, but mentally, and capable of some great basketball, which puts them in good stead to take it up to any of the remaining teams vying for the 2022 championship.

Let's hear from our local leaders: MIKAYLA HERMANS

For me personally it was super tough sitting on the sidelines in the early days of the season knowing I couldn’t help the girls and it made me extremely hungry to get back on the court to do whatever I could to help turn the season around and get us into finals. Fast forward a few months and here we are! We knew all we had to do was get ourselves into the top 5 and then we feel it’s anyone’s championship to win! It’s great to be here after being counted out in the early days and knowing we were able to beat every team we’re currently in finals with gives us a huge amount of confidence and belief in our capabilities! It’s exciting, there’s a different feel around the group than there has been in past seasons, coming into the finals as the ‘underdogs’.

Hopefully we’ll be able to surprise a few teams along the way!

TRACEY SHERLOCK

Every season the first goal is make finals. It wasn’t smooth sailing but we did it! Every game we have played in the last month has been a must win. We have showed up, stayed together, stay positive and just focused on the game ahead of us. Finals is no different. We keep showing up, stay together and give it our all. We keep winning.

DEMALZA HENRY

Although our season beginning was rocky and teams probably wrote us off, the girls have stayed positive throughout & remained focused on the goal. Finals!! Now that we are here our goal remains the same & so does our positivity and trust in each other to get the job done. We all know what’s required to win & we don’t waiver.

VANESSA POWER

The start of the season was obviously really challenging, mentally and physically. But as a team we’ve overcome some massive hurdles, stuck together and are where we deserve to be. We’re really looking forward to our finals campaign, but are focused on one game at a time.

Game details:

2022 Division One Women Elimination Final

Saturday 6th August, 6:00pm at the Ausloans Mildura Hothouse, 50-52 Eighth Street Mildura

Pay on Entry: Adults $10, Children $5 (Aged 5 - 17), Family Pass $25 (2 Adults & 4 Children)

The canteen and Hothouse Gateway Sports Bar will be open.